- Apple is expected to launch a slew of new products this year, including the rumored iPhone 12, a new Apple TV, an Apple Watch that can track your sleep, and other gadgets.
- Apple may also have some new accessories in store, like Bluetooth tags that help you find lost items with your iPhone and a wireless charging mat.
- It’s looking like Apple could make a big push into augmented reality by outfitting its new iPhones with 3-D camera sensors, possibly setting the stage for an AR headset.
- A few of these new products may debut at Apple’s WWDC conference on June 22.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Last year was a big moment for Apple product launches. Not only did the company keep with its schedule of releasing a trio of new smartphones and an Apple Watch in September, but 2019 also held a few surprises such as a new iPod touch and two new pairs of AirPods.
This year has already been eventful for Apple, as it’s launched a new iPad Pro with sensors for augmented reality and a new $400 iPhone called the iPhone SE. If the rumors and reports are to be believed, Apple has a lot more in its pipeline for 2020: most notably its first 5G-enabled iPhones, which are expected to come in the fall.
The launches would come as Apple is grappling with supply chain disruptions and weakened demand stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, which has prompted Apple to temporarily close most of its global retail stores and shift to remote work arrangements.
Here’s a look at some of the new Apple gadgets we’re expecting to see in 2020.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, which may come in two new sizes and support 5G
Apple debuts its new iPhones like clockwork every September, and it's expected to introduce new models this year as well.
This year, however, Apple said it expects to receive supply of its next-generation iPhones a few weeks later than usual, suggesting that the phone will likely be delayed. That comes after reports from Nikkei Asian Review and Bloomberg had suggested the next iPhone's debut may be pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic.
What appears to be more clear are the features we can expect to see. Apple's next-generation iPhones will reportedly come with support for 5G networks, new 3D Lidar sensors similar to those on the new iPad Pro, a new design that's similar to that of the iPad Pro, and updated screen sizes for the certain models, according to reports from Bloomberg, Ming Chi-Kuo, and others.
A new Apple Watch that can track your sleep
Apple traditionally unveils its new Apple Watch alongside new iPhones in September, so there's a good chance we'll see the company follow a similar pattern in 2020.
The biggest update to this year's Apple Watch could be the addition of sleep tracking technology, a feature that rival watches from Fitbit and others have long offered. Apple has been testing sleep monitoring for the Apple Watch this year and hopes to have the feature ready by 2020, according to Bloomberg.
Apple said in June that it's launching a new sleep tracking app for the Apple Watch as part of its watchOS 7 update coming in the fall. It's unclear if this is the sleep tracking feature that Bloomberg was referring to, or if additional sleep monitoring capabilities will be coming to the next watch.
Apple's next smartwatch may also come with the ability to measure blood oxygen levels, according to 9to5Mac.
The next-generation watch is also expected to include faster performance and improved water resistance, according to a note from Kuo obtained by MacRumors.
New Mac computers running on Apple silicon
Apple in June unveiled its initiative to design its own Mac chips rather than relying on Intel's processors, saying that the first devices running on these new chips would arrive by the end of 2020.
The company didn't reveal any other details about these new Mac computers, but Apple is rumored to be working on a new 14-inch MacBook Pro.
An accessory to help you find lost items with your iPhone
Apple is reportedly working on an accessory that can help you find lost items by using your iPhone, according to reports from 9to5Mac and MacRumors. The device would be similar to the Bluetooth tracker Tile, and would likely consist of a small tag to be placed on easily misplaced items like keys and wallets, the reports noted. It would work with the iPhone's "Find My" app.
It's unclear when Apple intends to launch the accessory, if at all, but 9to5Mac and MacRumors have discovered references to the product in Apple's iPhone software. Kuo also said it could launch in the first half of 2020 in a note from January reported by MacRumors. The earlier reports also suggest that the device could be called AirTags, and it may even use augmented reality to point users toward their lost item.
A services bundle that includes Apple TV+, Apple News+, and Apple Music
Apple may offer three of its digital services as a bundle subscription in 2020, according to Bloomberg. The company is reportedly considering offering Apple News+, Apple TV+, and Apple Music as one lump offering in a bid to boost subscribers. Such a move would further Apple's push into services, a business division that helped the company offset slowing iPhone sales throughout most of 2019.
A cheaper version of the HomePod
Apple may introduce a more affordable version of its HomePod smart speaker this year, according to Bloomberg. The cheaper model would include two tweeters instead of the seven present in the current version.
This new HomePod may also be noticeably smaller than the original; a more recent report from Bloomberg said the new HomePod will be about half the size of the original.
Apple unveiled the $350 HomePod in 2017 as a high-end audio alternative to rivals like the Amazon Echo and Google Home. But since the HomePod's launch, firms like Amazon and Google have also placed more emphasis on audio quality though speakers like the Echo Studio and Google Home Max, making it even harder for Apple to differentiate itself and break into the market. A cheaper model could make the HomePod more approachable and appealing to Apple loyalists who were reluctant to shell out $300 for the company's Siri-enabled smart speaker in the past.
A pair of over-ear premium headphones
Apple's AirPods earbuds are already popular, but the company could be working on new premium over-ear headphones to rival Bose and Sennheiser as well, according to reports from Kuo, Bloomberg, and 9to5Mac.
The headphones would be positioned as a high-end alternative to Apple's Beats brand, according to Bloomberg, and Kuo recently predicted that they could be released in the first half of 2020, as noted by MacRumors and 9to5Mac. The headphones may also be customizable like the Apple Watch, according to Bloomberg.
Like Apple's AirPods, the new over-ear headphones may be able to automatically play and pause music depending on whether you're wearing them, according to 9to5Mac. But instead of detecting when you place the headphones on and off your ears, the new premium headphones would be able to tell whether they're on your ears or hanging around your neck, the report says.
A new pair of AirPods
Apple could be preparing to release another pair of AirPods in the near future, according to YouTube personality and gadget leaker Jon Prosser.
Prosser reported in late April that Apple is likely to debut a new pair of AirPods in May that were supposed to be released in March. He didn't divulge any details about the new AirPods, but said they were "ready to go' and would likely be unveiled alongside a new MacBook Pro.
That last piece of information didn't turn out to be correct, as Apple unveiled a new 13-inch MacBook Pro on May 4 without any mention of new AirPods. But Prosser was correct when reporting that the new version of the iPhone SE would debut on April 15.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said that Apple has a new pair of AirPods in the works, although he did not specify when they would launch or any other details.
A new Apple TV with faster performance
Apple could be preparing to launch a new version of its Apple TV set-top box with faster performance.
In February, 9to5Mac found files in the developer beta of tvOS 13.4, the latest version of the Apple TV's software, which referenced what may be a new hardware model. The software indicated that Apple could be developing an Apple TV with a chip based on the same architecture as the company' A12 Bionic and A30 Bionic processors, which power the company's recent iPhones.
Apple hasn't released a new Apple TV since it launched the 4K-enabled model in 2017. That version runs on Apple's A10X processor, the same chip in the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros from 2017.
A wireless charging mat
Apple may launch a small wireless charging mat in the first quarter of 2020, Kuo also said in his note outlining future Apple product launches.
The note didn't include any other details about the potential product. But since Kuo described it as being small in size, it likely isn't an AirPower alternative.
AirPower was a wireless charging pad that Apple had intended to launch last year, but ended up scrapping because it did not meet the company's "high standards." It would have been able to charge three devices simultaneously, such as an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and AirPods.
A new iMac with 'substantial' upgrades
Apple may also have a new version of its iMac all-in-one desktop in the pipeline for this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Little is known about what the update would entail, but Gurman said in a recent question-and-answer session on Periscope that it could be a "substantial" refresh.
Apple launched a new iMac in August with improved processors, a better camera, more storage and memory, and the same nano-texture coating option available on the Pro Display XDR. But it's unclear if this is the "substantial" refresh that the previous reports had referred to, since this model doesn't feature any major design changes.
Lower-priced iPads
The tech giant is also reportedly working on new budget iPads for as early as later this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also reported.
The report doesn't share any specifics. But since Gurman refers to these models as "budget" iPads, it's possible that they could be refreshes of the $329 iPad and $400 iPad mini, which are the cheapest models in Apple's tablet lineup.
Possibly Apple's first smart glasses
There's a chance Apple could unveil its first pair of smart glasses this year. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in October that Apple was targeting a 2020 release date for its AR glasses, but has more recently reported that it plans to launch an AR/VR headset in 2021 or 2022 and smart glasses in 2023.
But Kuo has also said that Apple is working with third-party companies on smart glasses that could arrive this year, as the Chinese website MyDrivers reported in October 2019. It's unclear if that report from Kuo references the same products mentioned by Bloomberg.